Secret Holiday Tradition
by Graystripe64
Summary: Tigress has a special, secret, and personal tradition that she does every Winter Holiday. Can the rest of the Five and the Dragon Warrior figure out what it is?  It's a long one-shot, so it will have a couple chapters
1. Chapter 1

Wickedness and wrongdoing was scarce in the Valley that day – meaning that the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five had a lot of extra time on their hands. It was nearing the Holiday season and preparations for the Winter Feast would go into affect in about a week. Snow had already started to accumulate on the rooftops and street corners in the Valley, and heavier showers were anticipated in the evenings. Decorations, such as lanterns and garlands had already been hung from the shops and houses, filling everyone with early Holiday spirit.

The peaceful tranquility of the season had eased the warrior's minds, which was probably what allowed Po to convince them to help out his father in the noodle shop.

"My dad likes to prepare in advance for the Holiday. He'll probably want us to sort of spruce the place up," the panda had explained earlier to his five comrades. "Oh, and he _loves_ decorations, so we might get to help him with that too!"

The Five cordially agreed and had spent most of the morning pacing about the restaurant, doing their assigned tasks: Crane was sweeping around the tables and seating area (due to his janitorial skills), Monkey was hanging a few festive sun lanterns about the shop (promising to leave a few for Po and Mr. Ping to hang), using his acrobatic expertise to get to the high places. Mantis was brining up boxes of extra bowls and china from the storage rooms under the stairs in the shop, Viper was tending to the flora in the vicinity – making sure that Mr. Ping's potted bamboo shoots were well watered and nurtured, and finally, Tigress utilized her strength in toting large crates of vegetables and other ingredients from the delivery spot out back.

She was currently carrying a rather huge one back into the kitchen as easily as if it weighed nothing more than a moon cake. She maneuvered expertly around Mantis as he headed back down to the storage rooms to get another dusty, old box. The crate landed with a light _thud_ on the ground, next to a bunch of others containing radishes, turnips, and bok choy. She made sure to have them all collectively out of the way from where Po and his father were in the real _kitchen _part of the restaurant – taking into consideration that they needed all the space possible to properly to cut, slice, and dice large quantities of vegetables that they would need when the Holiday officially arrived.

"Is right here all right, Mr. Ping?" Tigress asked, turning her head from the crate of cabbages she had set down, towards the old goose.

Po's father turned around promptly at the sound of her voice, placing his massive knife on the chopping block next to his working son, and grinning gratefully at her. "Oh, yes, yes, right there is just fine," he said while waddling over to the feline. "I must thank you, Master Tigress. I am not as young as I used to be, so carrying all those crates myself would just be…_disastrous_!"

Tigress chuckled lightly at his enthusiasm, placing her paws on her hips and giving him a genuine smile. "Well I wouldn't want that. And it's no problem. It's the least I – _we _could do after the hospitality you showed us at the last Winter Festival."

"Yes, I don't think we ever thanked you properly last year, Mr. Ping," chimed Viper, slithering partially into the kitchen, clutching a decorative watering can in her coils. "You were most generous. And we're so glad you agreed to letting the Winter Feast take place at the noodle shop this year, again. Master Shifu was pleased too!"

"Oh, well…" Mr. Ping looked positively bashful – appreciative of all the praise as he shuffled his webbed feet across the ground.

Po suddenly turned from his work and placed a gentle hand on his father's shoulder. "Better be careful with all the compliments, guys. It'll all go to his head one day and then you'll be forced to treat him like the Emperor every time you see him!"

Tigress, Viper, and Mantis tried stifling their snickers, while Mr. Ping grabbed a wooden spoon and shook it threateningly at his panda son. "Oh, Po! Maybe _you_ could learn from your friends a little bit about politeness! The gods know you could use it!"

The warriors were about to return back to their work when suddenly Crane poked his head through the serving window to the kitchen, holding a broom in one wing and a raggedly, little object in the other. "Hey, Mr. Ping, I found this doll here on one of the stools. I assume a child left it behind?"

The bird warrior held up a disheveled old toy of a rabbit for the old goose to examine. Stuffing was coming out of a rip in its shoulder, one of the button eyes was missing, and a blotch of noodle broth had stained the front of it, but all-in-all, it was in pretty good condition.

Mr. Ping looked at it closely, giving it a thoughtful stare before concluding, "Oh yes, that's been here for some time, I'm afraid. I was hoping whoever it belonged to would come looking for it, but I guess no one has."

Crane brought it back closer to himself, grimacing at the sight of the pathetic toy. He started to turn around, saying, "Oh well, I guess I'll go dispose of – "

"Wait! Crane, I'll take it!" Tigress snapped her lips tightly as soon as the words flew out of her mouth. Monkey had hopped down onto the serving window counter and joined in on the inquisitive glances that all the warriors – including Po and Mr. Ping – were giving the large feline. She suddenly felt uncomfortable at all the attention on her, but brushed off the awkwardness indifferently.

"Give a child the chance to reclaim it when we head back to the Palace. If no one does, _I'll_ dispose of it properly then." She held out her paw expectantly. Crane just raised a feathery brow at her, incredibly unsure of what she had just proposed. But even _he_ knew better than to defy Tigress' orders, no matter the circumstances.

"Okay then," he placed it in her paw, actually more happy to be rid of it than discovering the truth behind her unusual actions.

Tigress accepted it gratefully, "Thank you." She brushed her thumb over the doll (which was large enough to cover half of it) and looked down at it tenderly. She then slid it into her waist wrap for safe-keeping (seeing as her black, silk pants lacked pockets) – its little head and paws hanging over the side of the fabric and large ears folding onto its face - and journeyed casually back out to the yard outside where a couple more crates were waiting.

Mantis caught a glimpse of the female tiger as he hopped back into the kitchen, holding a bowl three times his size in his talons. He watched her leave with a peculiar expression, as he had obviously missed the entire conversation beforehand. He suddenly turned back to his comrades in the kitchen. "Does Tigress know she has a toy wrapped at her waist?"

* * *

><p>As the day drew to an end, and the sun was beginning to set behind the distant mountains, Tigress did as she promised – tried to find the owner of the toy she had taken custody of. Meanwhile, the rest of the Five and Po headed back to the Palace for dinner. She spotted a small group of children lingering around the noodle shop with their parents and politely asked them if the doll belonged to them or to anyone they knew. To be honest, the children were too excited to be in the presence of <em>the<em> Master Tigress to even respond properly. She got a better answer from the parents, who denied ever having ownership of the sad, little doll.

The tiger master was actually relieved by this – that it had no owner and it was left with her. She was, of course, taking it back home with her. She had a better plan for it than simply throwing it away to spoil. The only problem that remained was hiding it from her friends and making sure they never saw it again. But that shouldn't be _too_ hard, she told herself. Besides, based on where it _was_ going, it would be almost impossible for it to arrive back at the Jade Palace.

Getting to the court of the Palace was easy. What was hard was making sure none of its other inhabitants were spying and/or watching her. Tigress successfully made it to her room located in the student barracks with no distractions (thanks to her feline prowess and well-honed stalking skills).

She immediately opened the small dresser chest situated in the corner of her room - which contained only clothes, a calligraphy set, some herbal soaps, and a few fine combs she used to groom her fur on special occasions - and pulled out an almost full, cloth sack she had stowed away. The strap attached to it dangled over her paw. She briskly untied it, stashed the doll in the sack, and retied to top of it into a thicker knot than before. She gently weighed the bag in her paw, concluding to herself:

"_That should be good enough for this season. There's probably more in here than what I gathered last year."_

Tigress gave a small grin at the sack – happy as to what it had accumulated to –before stuffing it deeply back into the drawer she had removed it from. She gave the closed top of the dresser a satisfied pat as she stood to her full height, lulling other thoughts in her mind.

"_Hmmm…I guess I'll leave tonight. Just after dark."_ she decided as she turned and reached out for the sliding door. _"Besides, they'll be expecting me soon, anyways."_

She poked her orange head out from her room, into the hallway –glancing around suspiciously before closing the door quietly behind her and padding towards the kitchen. The tiger was well aware that no one would dare enter her room – with or without her permission – but she didn't want to take the risk of anyone discovering what she had always managed to hide during the Winter Holiday for the past ten years. It wasn't anyone's business, but her own. She might even tell her friends one day, but for now, it would remain a secret. Her secret.

* * *

><p>The light in the Palace kitchen told her that dinner was already served. Although, she imagined Po would generously save her a place setting and a steaming bowl of soup, regardless of how late she returned from the Valley below. The feline warrior stepped into the kitchen to find her friends eating and chatting happily – each giving her a nod and a smirk as she entered and took her seat. Sure enough, a bowl of noodle soup was placed in front of her.<p>

"Hello, everyone. Sorry for being late," she uttered humbly, taking her chopsticks in hand and joining them in their meals.

"Hey, don't worry about it," reassured Po with a wave of his hand – slurping at his noodles hungrily.

Crane dipped his spoon into his bowl and brought a spoonful of warm broth to his beak. "So, did you find the owner of that doll while you were down there?"

Tigress swallowed and answered nonchalantly, "No. Apparently it belonged to no one. But I got rid of it. It's no longer a problem."

"Didn't seem like a big one to me," added Monkey, not looking up from his dinner.

All eyes rested on Tigress.

Said tiger, however, was not phased by their stares. She casually inspected her food as she brought it up from her bowl, before bringing it to her mouth. "It wasn't. I just thought it would be something I would want someone to do for me if I lost my toy as a child, that's all. Po, you put tofu in the soup?"

The rest of the Furious Five suddenly looked into their bowls, searching for signs of tofu that they hadn't noticed before. Crane looked at the spoonful he had yet to consume and found a little cube of the stuff sitting in the broth.

Po turned to Tigress, surprised, before smiling sheepishly at the rest of them. "Yeah, I did actually. I had a lot left over in the cupboards and thought I'd use it – as a little thank you for helping me and my dad today. You guys don't mind, do you?"

"No, that was very kind of you Po," said Tigress appreciatively. The rest of the Five nodded their thanks as well before returning to their bowls with greater interest. "Tofu's my favorite," she smiled – picking a large chunk with her chopsticks and placing it favorably on her tongue.

"Well it _is_ the giving season after all," added the pleased panda.

The striped feline finished her soup. Filling the emptiness in her stomach with that delicious, warm meal almost made her want to purr with contentment, but she successfully stifled the natural urge. "That it is, Po. That it is…" she whispered, running a tongue over her ivory fangs.


	2. Chapter 2

Night. It finally fell after what seemed like an abnormally long day for all the inhabitants of the Jade Palace.

Tigress had entered her room, as did her comrades to theirs, but with fake exhaustion. In fact, under her thick pelt, her muscles here twitching with anticipation and a kernel of excitement was burying itself in the pit of her stomach. A fake yawn here and there, and her friends where not the wiser.

Good. That was just the way she wanted it.

Poking her head from out of her room, she witnessed each of her friends blow out their candles - the fuzzy glimmers of light immediately vanishing - signifying that they had all officially gone to bed. Tigress, herself, hadn't even bothered to light her own. There was no need to.

With that, she wasted no time - quickly draping a dark cloak over herself (one she had for those rare moments when duty called and a snow storm was about to burst), tying the toggle around her neck, and folding the hood over her large, orange head. It covered most of her face perfectly, but still allowed her to observe her surroundings with great detail. Next, she made sure the knot keeping the cloth sack closed, was good and tight. She didn't want any of its contents falling out. It swung nicely around her back – the leather strap crossing over her chest and mid-section securely.

Po twisted in his sleep, having some sort of disturbing dream about a swarm of croc bandits not liking he and his father's noodle soup.

"Mmmm…But I _put_ garlic in it, Dad!"

The Dragon Warrior awoke with a jolt and a violent snort – bringing himself up into a seated position. He flickered his eyes tiredly and began rubbing them stubbornly. When that task subsided, he thought he caught a faint silhouette of someone outside his rice-paper screen door. He squinted, trying to get passed the sleep in his eyes. Indeed, it _was_ a dark outline of a person – right across the room from his. Who was it that had their room right across from his, again?

"Mmmuh…Maass…Tigress?" he mumbled in a whisper– the words rolling hopelessly over his tongue.

He watched as the figure slid open her door (so silently, not even Shifu's sensitive ears could have picked it up), prowled out on four paws, and closed it behind her with just as much caution. He could hear the footsteps treading lightly against the wooden floors. It cocked its head to the left and slowly to the right; then sprinted out of the hallway with no so much as a slight _whoosh_ of the wind.

Po was thrust off his bedroll out of pure curiosity. Stumbling lamely to his feet, he wrenched aside his own sliding door and looked around his environment. He thought he caught a glimpse of a striped tail just exiting the barracks, but with his lethargic eyesight, he couldn't be too sure.

Instead, he investigated the room across from him - peering inside as quietly as he could - only to find that it was empty with the bedroll left completely untouched.

The panda acted immediately - becoming anxious as each second passed. He retreated back into the hall and started opening his comrades' room doors with forceful effort.

"Hey! Hey, guys, wake up!" he whispered at first (without really knowing why) and then gradually spoke louder. "Wake up!"

Crane lifted his head from his sleeping position and ruffled his wings as he did so. "Huh?"

Monkey woke with a start, still balancing on his erect tail that he occasionally used as a seat.

Viper's snake eyes popped wide open as she remained in her curled pose.

Mantis actually entered the hallway first, with the other members of the Five following his lead. Soon, each Kung Fu master was standing directly outside their respective rooms – either rubbing their eyes and/or stretching.

The green bug yawned, "Whoa, Po, what's with the wake-up call? Doesn't Master Shifu usually do that?"

"Is it time to train already?" asked Monkey, scratching his side with his eyes still closed.

"I didn't hear the gong ring," Crane added suspiciously.

Po swiveled around to meet them all - jade eyes lit up with excitement. "No, guys, listen! Tigress is gone!"

Viper arched her body in worry. "What?"

"You know, _Tigress_! About this tall, covered in black stripes, and kinda always wants to kick me in the - "

"I _know_ who Tigress is, Po!" hissed the snake irritably. "I meant, is she really gone?"

"Oh! Yeah, totally split! Her bed's even empty! I saw her leave with a bag and in a cloak all _stalker-y_ and stuff! Guys, I think she should follow her!"

"Bag?" Mantis questioned, hopping onto Monkey's shoulder.

"Cloak?" The primate looked just as skeptical.

The apple green snake was just as confused, eventually inquiring, "Are you sure that's what you saw, Po?"

"Positive!"

Crane shook his head slightly. "I don't know, that just doesn't sound like her to me; I mean – "

"Come on! Even if I'm wrong, she's still gone! And all alone, at that! You wanna bring her back, right? Or at least see what she's up to!" He caught the other Furious Five members nods.

"Po's right. Tigress is family. We have to be by her side in – Well, _whatever _this is that she's up to!" Viper proposed.

Po danced apprehensively. "Well then let's go before we loose her trail! Who knows where she went or where she is now!"

* * *

><p>The snow was falling at a heavy rate. In single flakes or in heaps; it didn't make a difference. Maneuvering her way through the rushing, white, blinding sheets of snow falling from the sky was still a challenge for any master - even the famous tiger one.<p>

Tigress stopped her sprinting and rested for a moment atop a village building. Her paws stung under the icy snow she pressed them into. Her breath was coming out in clouds of mist. Still crouching and tail swishing excitedly, she turned her head behind her to see that she had made good progress. The Jade Palace was well off in the distance.

She then turned back to the course ahead. It was hard to tell for sure, due to the falling snow complicating everything that required eyesight, but she concluded that crossing the next couple villages would definitely get her to her destination. The female tiger reared up on her hind legs and bounded forward with an impressive jump – landing with expert dexterity onto neighboring roofs – and continuing on her journey.

* * *

><p>The five masters had escaped the student barracks and the Jade Palace all together, currently racing down the Thousand Steps at expert speed – Viper in front, followed by Monkey, Mantis, and finally a certain clumsy panda, who happened to have a long-lasting hatred towards stairs.<p>

The heavy snowfall that had been expected during the nights didn't delay in its arrival. The swirling showers of icy frost had blocked many of their senses.

Crane set off into the sky with a few flaps of his wings and called down to his comrades, "I'll scout ahead and see if I can spot her! You follow me!"

"Got it!" answered Mantis.

* * *

><p>Tigress suddenly scaled a tall tree on the outskirts of a forest that she'd just come through – a forest she forgot the name of long ago. She rested on a branch she considered sturdy and let herself catch her breath. She folded back her hood and proceeded to smooth out the melted frost on her cheek fur with a cold paw and then flick off the little icicles dangling from her whiskers.<p>

She had made it. The two villages she had crossed where long gone now. This forest was her last checkpoint, and just beyond it, lay the end of her travel. Yet, despite it all, she let out a tired exhale – frustrated at being drenched to the bone and just as cold. She looked forward to letting her clothes dry and warming her fur against a smoldering fire that she knew would be lit, even at this time of night. So much so, it made her pelt itch with enthusiasm, as her destination was literally right in front of her.

* * *

><p>Crane pointed down with his wing as a sign to his comrades following him. He would land soon and wanted them near when he did. He had been following the tiger master carefully – keeping out of sight. Tigress certainly had the ears, Crane learned. She could hear his flapping wings from all certain heights above her. She even occasionally turned her head up towards they sky in curiosity when the sound of a hovering object caught her attention. But the avian was a trained warrior as well, and although it was hard, he <em>was<em> capable of evading the watchful eye of the female tiger for short periods of time. It took all his concentration, but he kept himself well out of observation – often retreating into the shadows of the trees.

Once he saw that Tigress had stopped on the tall branch of a frost-bitten tree, he brought his wings proximal to his body, swooping downwards silently into the forest below. The avian steadied himself to an equally massive and dying tree – one a considerable distance behind the striped feline, but still close enough to spot her fully and clearly. The sound of slithering, a rustling of leaves above as a primate swooped from the higher branches, and a few insect _clicks_ from Mantis, he knew that his fellow masters where at his side. Po was the last to arrive – heaving himself with pushed effort onto the branch that the rest where perched on. It bent under his weight a little. Mantis had to pull the lumbering bear onto it fully so as not to break it, or worse, have Tigress hear them.

"She's there," Crane informed, not taking his intent stare on the female tiger in front of them. They all spotted her within seconds – crouching on her powerfully built haunches and staring at the faint description of a building in the distance, ahead of her.

"Hey, the panda was right!" exclaimed Mantis, pointing towards Tigress. "She _is _wearing a cloak! And look! There was the bag too! Hung right over her back!"

"What could she possibly – "

Crane immediately silenced Monkey. "Shhh! She's on the move again! Remember: stay low and stay quiet!"

Tigress had since bounded from her precarious branch and landed on the snow-covered ground below. When the five warriors had relocated themselves to her previous position, ducking cautiously in the shadows of the bare tree, they watched her movements attentively – expecting her to burst into another full sprint. But to their surprise, she just walked casually through the falling snow and up a small incline that lead to an old, circular-shaped building.

"Whoa, wait!" Po whispered, turning to meet his friends. He saw that they were as equally confused.

"Is this where she planned on going to?" offered Monkey, scratching his head.

Mantis was frantic for answers. "What _is_ this place?"

Viper remained quiet, squinting at the building and resorting to her memories.

It was a lonely establishment – resting solitarily on its little hill. The rest of the village was at the bottom – entirely asleep with not a single light appearing from the darkness. The usual grassy knoll that encompassed the edifice was now blanketed in a white sheet and was slowly accumulating. Masses of chunky snow were falling from the roof and onto the (now dead) small trees and bushes bellow, and the low stonewalls that enclosed the circular building in a square area. Handcrafted, childish sun lanterns glowed and shined in every little window surrounding the _tolou_, making the inside look as though a lavish Holiday party were going on inside.

"Wait a minute…" the snake murmured, still in thought, before she exclaimed in a strained whisper, "Doesn't this place look familiar to _any_ of you?"

The male's eyebrows furrowed in concentration before giving Viper a clueless expression.

She hissed irritably at them in return, while rolling her blue eyes. "Think about it! What's the only other place in all of China besides the Jade Palace that Tigress has ever lived in?"

After another moment of thought, each of their eyes grew a little wider when the realization hit them. Crane looked towards the female master. "You mean this is – "

"Yes! We're at the Bao Gu Orphanage."


	3. Chapter 3

As Tigress drew closer to the large, wooden doors of the Bao Gu Orphanage, she could feel the warmth from the inside coming off in soothing waves. The frost that settled on her cheek fur immediately melted and dripped of the sides of her white 'sideburns'. She smiled in pleasure of the change of temperature, eyes closing for a moment. Once she was in the doorway and finally walking on cold cobblestone and no longer in the ankle-level snow, she was engulfed in the yellow light of the many lanterns and candles that she imagined were lit in the Main Hall.

The large feline stopped for a moment to breathe in the delicious smells of festive cakes and pies that she remembered all the children and matrons made during the Holiday season. It filled her with memories of better times…

A fuzzy orange glow illuminated through the cracks between the separations in the door. She leaned in closer to the glow, hearing faint voices of many people - some old and some definitely young.

"_The children must be up!"_ she said to herself with contained surprise. She then grinned nostalgically when she heard the familiar, light-hearted commands of her old caretaker, Mrs. Cheng.

* * *

><p>"Now, children! Children, please! I know you're eager about the snow, but it's much too late for you to all be up!" directed the old sheep over a hoard of small children.<p>

Young geese, pigs, and bunnies where clamoring and bustling around the matrons, still dressed in their pajamas and obviously not at all interested in sleep. "But we gotta prove, Jin Bo wrong!" cried a frantic, little goose while pointing a defiant finger at a little rabbit.

A pig added, defiantly, "Yeah, he said that out his window it was all the way up to the door! I say he's lying!"

"Come now, Hong; you know that's not possible," came a velvet-smooth reply that only a feline could muster.

Everyone's attention immediately turned towards the voice; completely shocked. But the eyes of the children, Mrs. Cheng, and the other matrons, soon all swelled into large orbs that welcomed their unexpected guest – standing at the center of the Main Hall with a pleased grin, dripping slightly from the melted frost, her cloak draped over her arm, and cloth sack by her feet. Huge smiles spread across their faces and the excited shouting began.

"_Master Tigress!"_

* * *

><p>"Hey, look! There's a safe window over here, guys!" called Po as he leaned against the wall of the Orphanage – making sure to remain hidden from the people and the tiger he knew were conversing inside. Even though his feet were completely sunken in snow, he managed to keep the other half of himself warm from the heat escaping through the open, stone window.<p>

The other four masters crowded around the panda, squeezing their heads together to fit one window. He was right; it was completely well hidden and void of all gazes. Once they each had found a comfortable, unobtrusive spot to observe from, their eyes immediately landed on the scene of their own Tigress being trampled and swarmed by small children of all species.

The striped feline had actually been weighed down from the impact of children jumping onto her on all sides. A couple had scaled her back, a few where tugging on her front paws for attention, while the mass of them still remained around her feet. They were enraptured by the tiger master's visit, screaming her name and trying to give her a welcoming embrace.

"Master Tigress, you came!"

"We missed you!"

"Please stay longer this time!"

"Yeah, otherwise we won't let you go!"

"You should stay forever and sleep in _my_ room!"

Tigress was laughing (literally) at their many questions antics – patting them all on the head, while attempting to keep the ones ascending her tall frame, from falling.

"I've missed you all, too."

"Of course, I came! I said I would."

"My, all of you have grown so big. Li Hua, is that even you?"

"Now, now, Nian Zu, I need my whiskers."

"Oh, who's biting on my tail? Is that Xiao?"

A certain little pig dressed in a blue nightgown landed with a light _thud_ onto Tigress' back. He was panting from the effort, gripping the red silk of her vest, with a huge grin never leaving his face. "Master Tigress! Remember when you were teaching us how to roar last year? I've been practicing, just like you said! I want it to sound _just_ like yours!"

The piglet belted out a rather pathetic attempt at a tiger roar, although what it lacked in perfection, it made up for with effort. It ended with a violent and sudden _oink! _The children laughed, causing the roaring piglet to grow hot with embarrassment.

Tigress just chuckled and set the boy down with one paw, giving the top of his head a gentle tussle. "That was a good try, Chan-pu. But keep at it. You'll find your own roar someday, even if it doesn't sound _just_ like mine."

* * *

><p>The Jade Palace masters just watched the display with wide eyes and dropped jaws. They gave each other a glance that clearly said, <em>"What the – is that Tigress? No, that can't be. But, it is!" <em>But once she shock finally settled into their confused brains, happiness overcame them – a warmness filling their hearts. They turned back to the playful tiger, still trying to keep the many children around her content, yet settled down.

* * *

><p>Mrs. Cheng walked up to Tigress, visible delight etched on her soft features. "Children, please. Now, give Master Tigress some space! She's traveled a long way."<p>

The youngsters complied, quickly retreating away and sliding off from their beloved visitor. They beamed at her, an excitement that only this female tiger could bring to them. They started talking, whispering, and giggling amongst themselves. The old sheep matron gave her old ward a look of genial admiration and placed a light hoof on her arm. "My dear! It's so good to see you again!"

"Likewise, Mrs. Cheng," Tigress responded, while standing to her full height. "I apologize if I've come too early, I – "

"Oh, no! Never, my child; our doors are always opened for you this time of year!" The sheep suddenly looked quizzical, gesturing towards the large double-doors behind them. "Which brings up a question: how did you…"

"One of the windows," she finished, motioning a directionless paw towards the second level to the orphanage." I didn't want to distract you from your duties."

"Oh, yes, I keep forgetting," she laughed. "You Kung Fu masters always have to make an impressive entrance, I understand."

Tigress chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "I guess you could put it that way." Her golden-and-crimson eyes suddenly turned towards the children. She smiled when she saw all their adoring stares. She instantly felt the urge to become playful. This was, literally, the only time she could fully do so without the risk of embarrassing herself.

"Children!" she addressed, placing her paws behind her back and pacing around them like a strict, goal-driven master (she had observed Shifu long enough to know how to imitate him perfectly). "I must confess, I am here on strict, 'Kung Fu master business!'"

The kids where easily thrown off by her forced seriousness – reacting with flattened ears (some) and large eyes that flashed excitedly. A little girl bunny asked frantically, "Really? What's the problem, Master Tigress?"

"Yeah, what can we do?" prodded a goose.

Tigress let out a defeated breath. "Oh, I couldn't possibly burden you all with such a trifling task! But…if you _must_ know…" She pulled out a large, bulging object from behind her. "I am supposed to find a group of good little girls and boys to give all these presents, I've gathered, too!"

When the children spotted the bag, they flew into another loud, hollering group. "Oh! Oh! What did you bring us this year, Master Tigress?" she heard a voice yowl above than the others.

Tigress smirked coy fully at them all, taking the bag in one paw and dangling over them a little. She started talking in a playfully confused tone – eyes darting everywhere and shrugging. "It would be wrong of me to say! It's a secret!" She brought her thick arms over the kids, looking at them all with wide eyes and speaking in a spooky voice that made all the orphans, _'oooohhh'_ with wonder. "I said only _good_ little children can find out!"

"I-I've been _really_ good!" shouted one little rabbit while raising his tiny paw into the air.

A goose joined him with a wave of his wing. "Me too! Me too, Master Tigress!"

"We've all been good!" chanted the rest of them.

Tigress exaggerated her movements, brining her fingers to her chin too look as if she were pondering something extremely important. "Hmmm…is that so? _Every single_ one of you?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Have you all been respectful to your caregivers?" the large feline posed, gesturing to the matrons behind her. "

"Yes!" many of them responded confidently.

"And have you all played nicely with each other – no fighting or stealing toys?"

The children were suddenly a little less certain. "Well…most of the time!"

"Ah, I see," murmured Tigress with an affable twitch of her whiskers. "Well then you _must_ have been doing all your chores obediently, right? Every little child needs to know the importance of discipline."

They all drooped their heads in defeat. "No…we haven't been doing all of that, _exactly_," admitted one brave girl goose.

Tigress arched her brows in surprise and her ears pricked as well by the remark. A slight twinge of remorse flittered in her heart for making them feel bad. She hadn't meant for her banter too be taken _that_ seriously. She bent down a little to their height.

"Hey, no need to be upset," she uttered softly. They all turned their eyes up to her, still ashamed. "I know you've all been trying _very _hard to be good. Sometimes, being an orphan is tough, even when you live in a place as nice as this. It certainly wasn't easy for me. I understand, little ones - I really do. Which is why I brought you and am _still_ going to give you your presents."

The children instantly brightened, jumping up and down in exuberance and trying to grab at the sack that the female tiger kept out of their reach.

"Thank you! Thank you, Master Tigress!"

"What are they this year? Is it gross?"

Tigress chuckled at their excitement, holding out a paw to silence them while the other suspended the bag. "Now, now, before I show you what it is, does anyone have any other guesses?"

"Is it food?" inquired a chubby little pig from the crowd.

"Daifu, you ask that every year!" Tigress said with a genuine laugh. "No, I brought you something that'll last for a long time - for each and every one of you. And I think you'll like it." She untied the bag, watching as each child's eyes grew round with wonder. She felt it would be unfair to tease them any further, so she promptly turned the bag over and a massive heap of little toys fell onto the floor at the children's feet.

"New toys!" the youngsters shouted all at once, suddenly swarming around the pile and grappling for one that they liked.

There must have been about forty separate toys, more than enough so that every child could have at least one. They where of a whole different variety – all unique sizes, some were cloth dolls while others were hand-carved from wood or made of straw and other common objects. A couple were more faded in color than others, where fabric or paint had paled over time/use. Some had patches and sewn up limbs and others didn't…etc. Most of them were animals, usually within the typical citizen species list (geese, pigs, sheep, antelopes, and rabbits), while there were a few wooden swords and other combat items (which were ultimately harmless) for the boys.

The orphans instantly began playing with their selected toys – a group of girls choosing their respective species doll and sitting down to have a little tea party, a gang of boys taking the wooden weapons and fighting as if in the Imperial Army, and others taking more dolls to practice kung fu with. Tigress smiled down at all of them, hands on her hips, and looking pleased with herself. Another Holiday tradition successfully executed.

Mrs. Cheng walked up to the tiger master's side while beaming joyously. "Oh, Master Tigress, you have outdone yourself this year! Children, what do we say to Master Tigress and her gifts?"

"Thank you!" they all chanted in unison, immediately charging for the large, striped feline and hugging her around the legs. She turned downwards to meet their cheery faces.

"You're quite welcome, little ones. I'm glad you enjoy them!"

* * *

><p>The five warriors staring from the window watched in glee as their leader played all the children's little games – hearing her laugh and smile with every one of them. She had already participated in over three tea parties and was currently in another - sitting cross-legged with a group of girls, drinking non-existent tea, exchanging dolls, and listening to their gossiping about the boys.<p>

"Master Tigress, do _you_ like any boys?" one little girl pig asked.

If the tiger could have blushed, she would have. "Oh, no. I have too many responsibilities to worry about that."

"But you're so pretty!" a rabbit interjected. "I bet every boy likes you!"

"Why, thank you, Su Yin. But I love Kung Fu more than any boy."

"Do you think _we'll_ fall in love someday?"

"I'm sure you will. When the right man comes along, you'll be smitten," she reassured. The girls all giggled at this, but took the advice to heart, looking excited at the idea of meeting their future husbands.

Suddenly, Tigress whipped her paw around behind her and caught a wooden sword by the tip before it jabbed her in the back. She amusedly rolled her eyes and turned around to meet a little boy pig, still clutching the sword in his hoofed hand.

"See!" he shouted enthusiastically, pointing at Tigress with his other hand, all while turning around to meet his friends. "I told you – she _always _knows when we're about to attack!" The other boys were in awe.

"Master Tigress, come play kung fu masters with us!" begged a child from the group of friends.

"All right, one moment," Tigress answered before turning back around to the circle of girls and their tea party. "Please excuse me, girls." She stood nimbly to her feet. "I've been called on an urgent mission."

"But you haven't finished your tea!" exclaimed a rabbit, gesturing to the empty cup at the tiger's feet (which had been empty the entire time).

Tigress playfully cursed herself, placing a paw on her forehead. "Of course! How could I have forgotten?" She bent down, picked up the little cup, brought it to her lips, and took an imaginary gulp, followed by an imaginary swallow.

"Mmm, delicious. Thank you, girls," the large feline remarked, placing the cup back onto the floor. She then gave them a respective bow and followed the small boys, each picking up their weapons and leading the tiger master away to play.

* * *

><p>Po, Viper, Monkey, Mantis, and Crane all ducked under the sill of the window and exchanged astonished yet elated expressions.<p>

"Whoa, guys, can you believe this? Tigress comes here _every_ year!" cried Po.

"And brings them gifts! I guess that's where that rabbit doll she had this morning went off to, Crane," Mantis added.

Viper was practically whipping the happy tears away from her eyes, with her tail. "And then she spends the whole night playing with them! It's like she's their big sister!"

Crane nodded. "It's like she makes them all a family."

"I can't believe we never knew – after all these years!" declared Monkey.

* * *

><p>Tigress caught a glimpse of the environment outside – the sky was just about to turn a purple-pink haze – the sign of dawn approaching…and a sign that if Tigress wanted to make it back home without getting scolded by her master and bombarded with questions from her friends, then she would have to leave <em>now<em>.

With the children distracted with their toys and such, the tiger master got her dark cloak and swung it over herself once more, clasping the toggle together. She was also about to situate the empty, cloth sack over her back again, when a light touch grazed her furred arm.

"Thank you, for everything you've done," Mrs. Cheng said to Tigress, taking her large paw in her small, hoofed hand and squeezing it. Her gentle eyes glowed with the same admiration.

Tigress smiled warmly as well. "Of course. I know how they all feel," she explained, gesturing to the playing children, "It might not be a lot, but it's the _least_ I could do for them."

Suddenly, the large, striped feline felt a small tug on her black, silk pants, and looked down to see a little girl rabbit (probably no older than five years old), staring up at her expectantly and gripping her new toy in her small arms.

"Master Tigress, you're not leaving, are you?"

Said warrior's smile dropped a little and she bent down to the child's level. "I'm afraid I have to," she admitted regretfully.

"_What?"_ Obviously, all the other children had heard the master's confession, and turned to her with crestfallen expressions – their eyes growing wide with worry and sadness. The crowd of orphans surrounded Tigress, and she watched them do so.

"You're leaving?"

"But it's not even dawn yet!"

"We barely got to play all our games with you!"

Tigress' brows arched remorsefully. "I'm sorry, children, but you know I can't stay forever. I have to go back to the Jade Palace, just like every year."

A moment of silent sadness passed before one small piglet asked, "Y-You won't forget us, will you? Even if some of us get adopted?"

"Of course I won't," she responded while exhaling a chuckle and patting the boy on the head. "The same way I know you won't forget about _me_ when you're all with your new families."

"Oh, no! We could _never_ forget you, Master Tigress!"

"Yeah! You treat us like family, so we treat you the same way!"

Tigress' heart swelled inside her chest, at that.

"Just like you give us presents, we give _you_ one too!" declared a goose.

"Huh?" the master asked, her expression immediately changing.

Another little pig walked through the crowd of his peers, holding up a little, red sun lantern in his hands. He grunted happily, extending his pudgy arms out further and wanting the female tiger to take it.

"We all made it just for you," a bunny informed merrily.

Tigress silently picked up the paper object (which was small enough to fit in her entire grasp) by the string it was attached to with her thumb and index finger. She suspended it in front of her face and examined it with large, curious eyes. With further inspection, she found that a child-like drawing circled around the red paper of the entire lantern. Many sloppily painted geese, pigs, and bunnies where all holding hands in a line, with a tall tiger in the middle. The tiger was smiling happily, holding the paw of a bunny and the hoof of a piglet in each hand.

A few emotional tears started forming around the eyes of the _real_ tiger. But with a few blinks, they evaporated from her face. She stared at her Holiday present as if it where a rare, glowing, shimmering jewel. Tigress felt a throbbing tug on her heart and it caused her throat to go dry. She had never been given a gift before – a true gift, straight from the heart - made by people she cared about, and in turn, cared for her.

The same little goose spoke up first, looking at the large feline eagerly with the rest of his friends. "You…You _do_ like it, don't you?"

Tigress had to use all her will power to keep her lower lip from quivering. "I love it," she answered with surprising confidence. "I will treasure it always. Thank you. Thank you all so much."

The children beamed adoringly at Tigress, tears forming in their eyes as well. Without another second, every one of them crowded tighter around the tiger master and hugged any part they could get their little arms around. Tigress couldn't fight back the urge to do the same, and wrapped her large, muscular arms around the horde of orphans. She could feel a few burying their heads into her fur and clothes.

"We love you, Master Tigress," they all said in unison.

She squinted her eyes closed tightly and bit her lip in order to keep the raging emotion of compassion at bay. However, she _did_ let out a single, rumbling purr, her head hovering right above those of the children. Clearing her throat, she whispered loud enough for each of them to hear, "Me too, little ones. Happy Holiday."

* * *

><p>All the Jade Palace warriors watching from the window wiped a tear from their eyes, huge smiles adorning their faces. None of them had expected to witness such an emotional night – and all by the paws of Tigress, at that. They each gave each other a warm glance before ducking under the window and looking at the fading night sky. The sun was just about to peek out from the mountains. Training would be tough this day, but in their hearts, they knew it was worth it.<p>

"Come on," whispered Crane gently, beckoning the others with his wing. "Let's get going. We gotta make it home before Tigress, and before Master Shifu finds us gone."

Viper slithered after him at a pleasantly easy pace, leaving the primate, the bug, and the panda behind at the window.

Suddenly, said panda grasped Monkey into a hug and whimpered into his shoulder, "Happy Holiday, Monkey! I love you, man!"

"Po, quiet!" warned Mantis. "We've made it this far without being caught. Don't blow it!"

The Dragon Warrior released Monkey, drying his eye with a finger. "You're right, sorry buddy."

The quintet finally started on their journey back home, leaving the Bao Gu Orphanage and their leader behind, with the anticipation of seeing both of them again.

* * *

><p><strong>One more chapter! I hope you all have enjoyed it so far!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I know this is a little late, but it's been a challenge finding time to write when there's a lot of school stuff to finish. Hopefully, you all understand...even just a little bit. Anyway, here's the much anticipated FINAL CHAPTER of this little holiday story. This has been so much fun to write, as if you couldn't already tell. I always appreciate some reviews - that is if you have time and don't mind doing so. All your feedback is so wonderful. Thanks and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The shining, golden sun had settled itself into a crack between two mountaintops when Tigress had arrived back at the Jade Palace. The snow had stopped falling, leaving the air crisp and clear with an introduction to a new, early morning.<p>

Tigress back flipped easily over the high stonewalls and landed directly in the snow-covered courtyard of the famous Kung Fu training Palace. It was completely void of any company. Not even Zheng was waddling around the grounds. She sighed out of relief…and exhaustion. As much as she hated to admit it, she was tired. She had sacrificed a whole night of sleep for this annual tradition. It was worth it, though. It was only one night out of hundreds of others.

But still…how could she deflect suspicion off of her if she spent the following day yawning and dazed during training? It might put her in a situation that she would not be prepared to defend herself against. The tiger master contemplated this idea while walking through the Palace grounds back to the student barracks. Suddenly, she stopped herself. The barracks? Was that were she was going?

No. If she was going to be accused of being tired and overworked, then it would be through something everyone thought she'd be doing late into the night. Tigress pushed her already aching muscles, running with strained speed to the Training Hall.

Silently, the stalking feline moved swiftly into the sacred Hall, gently closing its large doors behind her. She was pleased to find that it was as empty as the courtyard. Trying to stifle her cat yawn, Tigress bounded gracefully to the Jade Tortoise at the center of all the training equipment and sunk into its deep pit. She estimated that she had at least an hour before Shifu arose and started his meditating, which was when she would start her early training. But for now, the large feline just undid the toggle to her cloak and draped it around herself, then set the empty, cloth sack at a place for her head. Stretching a bit, Tigress finally settled herself on her left side, puffed out her thick pelt, and curled into a comfortable half-circle in order to retain further body heat.

The female tiger gently cuffed herself behind her right ear before finally falling into a light, dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Gong!<em>

"Good morning, Master!" five voices chanted in unison, each stepping out from their separate rooms and standing erectly by their doorframes. Said master was standing at the end of the hall, looking expectantly at his students.

"Good morning, students," Shifu addressed them, hands holding his master's staff behind his back. His glance rested briefly on the undisturbed room across from the Dragon Warrior's before clearing his throat and adding, "Now, I know you must be wondering where – "

"Master, do you know where Tigress is?" interrupted Po a little worriedly, obviously noticing the empty room across from him, as well. His friends could hardly contain their concern as well. They had expected to arrive back at the Palace before Tigress, but not by this much time!

Shifu, however, just remained frustrated by the fact that he had been cut off short by the painfully unmannered Po. "Hmmm, I was getting to that, Panda. You should know that she is in the Training Hall at the moment. I found her this morning perfecting her skills on the Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors, and have reason to believe she has been there the entire night." He paused a moment, letting a small wave of pride rush through him. "She should be an example to all of you."

A series of smiles adorned each of the faces of the five students, headshakes accompanying them. That silly tiger was just a raging whirlwind that never slowed down. Viper dipped her head to the elderly red panda, "Of course, Master."

Nodding, Shifu turned to leave: "Good. You have the same assignments from yesterday, so see that they get done. I assume Tigress will join you for breakfast shortly. That is all."

Bowing and placing their fists to their other open hand (save Viper), the Dragon Warrior and the remaining Five watched the red panda walk swiftly down the opposite hall. A nod to each other and they each retreated momentarily to their respective rooms, each returning with an item(s).

"You all got your stuff?" Viper prompted.

Another series of nods confirmed the answer.

"Good," the snake replied happily. "Now, just like we planned: don't hand them over or even let her know we have them until we get her to spill the beans."

"Gotcha!" affirmed Po.

Toting said items; each proceeded to the kitchen and eagerly awaited the joining of their feline companion.

* * *

><p>Tigress ran a paw through the fur along her head and cheeks, smoothing out the chilled sweat that had accumulated from her early morning workout. Her plan had worked brilliantly. Not only did she get a moment of undisturbed sleep in the Jade Tortoise, but also her brief training session had given her the needed energy to face the day with less exhaustion than before.<p>

She was padding to the kitchen, knowing that her comrades were probably just about ready to eat. With a sigh, the tiger master walked through the entrance, and was suddenly welcomed by a series of exuberant smiles from each of her fellow warriors, each sitting in their respective seats. Po had to turn around to deliver his grin.

Tigress stopped for a moment, a little caught off guard by their unexpected looks. She just stared at them for a second before refocusing on her own, empty chair.

"My apologies for being late again. I trust Shifu told you I was training?" Allowing her tail to slide through the opening in the back of the chair, she sat herself down with paws folded in her lap.

"Yep…" murmured Po as his green eyes shined excitedly.

Still, those expectant smiles never left her comrade's faces. Tigress' eyes narrowed involuntarily and brought her brows a little closer to her nose. "Have I missed something?" she asked cautiously. "Don't take this offensively, but you're all acting a little strange."

"We're not the only ones," Monkey stated.

Tigress raised a brow. "You're referring to me? What do you mean by that?"

A moment of silence passed before Viper said sweetly, "Why didn't you tell us, Tigress?"

"Tell you what? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Deep down in the pit of her heart, a small flutter of panic escaped. It never showed, though.

"Yes, you do," chuckled Mantis.

Tigress' ears flattened to her head threateningly. "No, I _don't!_"

The remaining warriors exchanged a knowing glance at each other before each belting out their greatest attempt at a tiger roar. The fur along Tigress' neck couldn't help but stand up as she stared at them all as if they'd gone completely insane.

"Master Tigress, could you teach us how to roar too?" they all said in unison, in the best 'kiddy' voice they could muster.

Said tiger master's eyes widened and mouth dropped open a little. The realization smacked her in the chest so hard it almost hurt. For the first time since, she couldn't remember, she was at a loss for words. She just gave them one of her country-famous glares, followed by its close cousin: a menacing growl.

She immediately thrust herself up from her seat, chair sliding backwards with a violent _screech! _Her breath seethed through her bared teeth. The five warriors in front of her couldn't help but be a little intimidated. Although, in the back of their minds, they anticipated a reaction very much like this one.

"You…You all had no right to – " the tiger stopped herself, letting go of some of her anger and replacing it with a bit of shame. She could not blame them. She silently rebuked herself for not detecting them following her when they did. How in the world had they even _managed_ that? Tigress sighed, turning away from them slightly, "That was rude of me. I'm sorry."

Po responded coaxingly, "It's okay."

Another instant of silence passed before the striped feline stated, "How much did you see?"

"The whole thing," answered the Dragon Warrior again.

Tigress squinted, a twinge of embarrassment stabbing her in the heart. How could she face such quizzical glances and answer such inquiries?

Viper approached the large feline and asked again, "Tigress…why didn't you ever tell us about this – _tradition_ – you do every year?"

"You kept it a secret for so long," Crane added.

Tigress faced her golden eyes on them again, surprised to see only warm smiles and understanding expressions. It eased the pent up tension in her muscles. "Because…" she started, hardening her voice again. "It was not worth anyone else's concern but my own. You saw everything. You learned that it is a…" she cleared her throat while staring at the ground. "It's a _personal _tradition."

Viper grinned deeper and slithered off her chair and onto the table to meet her friend's downcast glance. Tigress met her blue eyes with a little reluctance. "It doesn't have to be _just_ you, anymore."

Before the feline could respond, both Monkey and Crane wrapped a hand/wing around one of her shoulders. Mantis jumped to the top of her head while Po filled the empty space on the side by just standing respectively.

"Yeah, Tigress," bellowed the insect.

Crane suggested, "You should let us help you."

Tigress instantly gave them all astonished looks, preparing to break away from their closeness to her. "What? Oh, no, I _really_ don't want – "

"Nonsense!" Po interjected, beaming brilliantly. "We even got a little something from each of us to help you get started for next year!"

The striped cat raised both her brows at the panda, repeating, "What?" She watched each of her comrades shuffle behind them to reveal different items in their grasps.

"Here!" Po said, offering his first. "They're yours!"

He placed in Tigress' paws his six, hand-carved and painted action figures – each resembling a member of everyone in the room. Tigress immediately sent him a shocked expression. "Po, no, I couldn't take these. You made them yourself and I know how much you care for them." She picked up the doll of herself and examined its details.

Po's ears flattened bashfully. "Hey, I can always make more! Besides…" he paused, "I can think of a certain group of kids who'd _really_ get a kick out of them."

A small smirk crossed Tigress' muzzle, setting down the toys carefully. "You're right about that. Thank you, Po."

"Here's mine!" exclaimed Monkey, dropping a decorative jar into Tigress' grasp. She recognized it immediately.

"Your almond cookies?" She opened the jar and sniffed its contents, surprised by what she smelled. "You're special Holiday cookies, with mint and cinnamon! Monkey, you only get these once a year."

The primate gave her a playful punch in the arm. "Take them. Maybe little Daifu could give them a good home." Tigress chuckled, knowing exactly how thrilled the easily excitable Daifu would react to fresh, Holiday spice cookies.

"And mine!" Crane was next. "I know a couple of those girls would like to paint with better supplies." Opening the wooden box that Tigress accepted, she observed the tidy array of brushes, fresh sheets of parchment, and expensive inks – all kept neatly aligned with not even a blotch of black scattered anywhere.

"Crane, how could I possibly take you're _only_ calligraphy set? You've been using this one for the past twenty years!"

The avian chuckled, tipping his hat back a little. "And I'll get another one that I can use for the _next_ twenty years." He paused to increase his beaky smile, "Don't worry. I _want_ them to have it."

Tigress closed the box, brushing a paw over it before setting on the kitchen table with the other items.

A _chirp_ from Mantis signaled it was his turn, "Hey, don't forget about me, now!" Another box was presented to the feline's paws. A red one, with a golden latch that she flipped open, only to be presented with a line of about twenty or so acupuncture needles and the diagram of a tiger with a sloppy diagram of a panda painted over it. Tigress couldn't help but let out another small chuckle. "Mantis, I've seen you guard these needles as if they were a family member. They mean too much to you for _me_ to take them. Are you sure about this?"

Mantis hopped back onto the tiger's head and hugged one of her furry ears. "Positive! They can be used for medical purposes, so I'm sure that old matron would be pleased with that."

Tigress nodded and set aside the box as well. As she did so, she felt linen brush the fur on her striped arm. She turned around and saw Viper holding up to her, by her tail, her red, silk ribbons. Tigress gasped a little, feeling the ribbons with her fingertips before the snake shoved them enthusiastically into her paws. "No, Viper. _This_ I honestly cannot take. These were the first ribbons you ever danced with, aren't they?"

Viper nodded, her smile growing with each passing minute. "And now they can go to another little girl, who will hopefully find the same beauty I did when _I_ danced with them."

Tigress frowned and held out her paw with the strands of silk still in them. "No. I refuse."

But the fellow female warrior just curled Tigress' fingers closed with the tip of her tail, raising a friendly brow at her. "Please, sister. It's my present to them."

The large feline still looked uncertain as she brought the ribbons away from their previous owner. Giving her and everyone else one of her rare smiles, she said, "Thank you. All of you. I can't tell you how much this will mean to the children. What it means to me." They nodded, but stopped when Tigress asked, "But I still don't understand…_why_ do you want to give your closest items away?"

"Tigress! It's the Holiday," Viper giggled, slithering her head under the tiger's chin. "The time for giving your friends and family a little bit of yourself – showing how much you care for them."

"We want to spend it with you," added the Dragon Warrior.

"And all the crazy, secret stuff you do behind our backs!" finished Mantis.

Tigress frowned a little at that, but soon brightened both her eyes and her smile. But it instantly fell again once she said, "Forgive me. There's not a lot I can give to you in return."

Shaking their heads at the tiger warrior's ridiculousness,

"You've already given too much, you silly cat," Monkey chided respectfully.

Tigress rolled her eyes, secretly amused by the comment. "Still, if there was only something…" She stopped for a second to think, continuing only when a revelation came to her. "There is _one_ thing I can give you all. As a token of my appreciation for all…this," she gestured to the gifts on the kitchen table and to her friends as well.

Po got excited, causing the others to beam as well. "And that is?" the panda prompted.

Tigress smirked as she reached into her vest and pulled out a thin piece of folded, red paper. From what they could see of it through the tiger's large paws, it was adorned with little ink drawings. With gentle fingers, Tigress pulled out the corresponding string ends of the paper, causing it to unfold into a plump little sun lantern.

A couple gasps escaped the warriors' mouth as they recognized the same sun lantern that the striped feline had been given last night. They observed it with greater detail, getting a chance to see all the drawings that encircled it as it rotated in the breeze. A couple laughs followed when they say the happy tiger in the middle of a line of children.

Tigress' grin increased ever so slightly at the sight of their faces, returning to the small lantern as she informed, "It isn't much, but it's the only thing that has any value to me that I can give to you. Treat it well. It's very delicate."

She held out the lantern to them, expecting one of them to pick it up. Viper just shook her head. "But Tigress, the children gave you that lantern. It was meant for you. It would be wrong for us to take it!"

"It was meant to be admired. I want to share that with you, just like you want to share your gifts with me," she paused. "I've been keeping it close to my heart. But now, you can keep it close to yours."

The fellow five immediately embraced a part of the tiger from where they were standing. Tigress was a little shocked – both by the unfamiliarity of the act and the fact that she did nothing to stop them. Orange eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, she looked around at all her fellow warriors. Her friends. Slowly, she wrapped her own arm around Po and Crane and gave them a tight squeeze as well, secretly grateful for the act of companionship.

Releasing the embrace, she held up the small lantern to Monkey and shifted her eyes to the doorway to the kitchen. "Monkey, could you…?"

Nodding and smiling, the primate took the paper orb with his tail and hung it carefully in the place Tigress had motioned to. It dangled from the archway, giving a little light color to the typical dullness of the barrack's kitchen. It revolved until it settled exactly before the little tiger – her little eyes looking on at the scene of the real tiger and all her friends growing into a full-fledged family. Undeniably, the most _perfect_ Holiday present.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END! I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for all the great reviews. Happy New Year to all!<strong>


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